Emplacement former for soil pipes



May 25, 1954 o. E. ZINN 2,679,155

EMPLACEMENT FORMER FOR son. PIPES Filed Jan. 10, 1951 l //IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII;

Patented May 25, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ell/ PLACEMENT FORMER FOR SOIL PIPES Otis E. Zinn, Washington, D. 0.

Application January 10, 1951, Serial No. 205,393

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a soil pipe closing and spacing form or mold. V

More particularly the invention relates to a soil pipe end closing and spacing former used in the construction of concrete lavatory floors or the like, to provide an opening therethrough of desired shape and dimensions about a pipe end, when pouring the base or finished concrete floor.

The invention is more particularly concerned with an improved construction of former which includes a top and depending cylindrical side wall structure which cooperates to enclose and confine a readily separable centering and supporting wire structure which is assembled therewith as a functionally integral part thereof. Such a former is generally shown and described in Bateman Patent 2,212,974, August 27, 1940, and the instant invention constitutes an improvement on the device shown and described therein. The instant invention also constitutes an improvement on such spacing and supporting means in a former as isshown in patent to Gerriets 2,202,147, May 28, 1940, and 2,270,286, January 20, 1942.

As is also shown in these prior art patents, the practice of securing a closet bowl to a soil or drain pipe involves the use of an attaching sleeve or flange ring which includes a depending cylindrical portion adapted to surround the upper end portion of the soil pipe in the annular floor space provided by the former or mold. Such attaching sleeve further includes a horizontal flange at its upper end to which the closet bowl is secured by means of a bolt, in a well known manner.

In view of the foregoing and the further fact that the cylindrical body of the former must remain in the concrete which hardens therearound, the importance of maintaining the body of the former in required spaced and truly concentric relationship with the soil pipe, by a light, simple and economical means, which is readily removable from the body and which is also collapsible for ready and easy disposal, will be appreciated.

It is equally necessary that all portions of the former be relatively rigid and of a size to properly cover the upper open end of the soil pipe during the pouring and hardening of the concrete floor in order to avoid introduction of concrete or other foreign matter into the soil pipe. Further there should be no laterally projecting top portions and connecting means preventing leveling of the concrete floor all around an installed former. Hence, the top and cylindrical body portions oi the former must be coextensive and functionally integral yet separable to the maximum diameter of the cylindrical body portion.

While such prior structures, as referred to above have given satisfactory results to the ex tent of avoiding stoppage of the soil pipe with concrete while molding the recess therearound for a closet bowl and its connecting ring they were in most instances too complex and inflexible in construction for economical manufacture and use. Furthermore the structure of these prior art devices involved unnecessary expenditure of time and. effort to install and process, for the installation of the bowl. In many instances portions of the top or centering means would clog the pipe.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide a disposable soil pipe closing and spacing former which is of maximum simplicity for efiicient use and which is capable of manufacture at a relatively low cost.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a soil pipe former which is relatively rigid yet light in weight and which requires a minimum of expenditure of time and effort in its installation and processing for use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a soil pipe closing and spacing former which includes a unit top which is coextensive and functionally rigid with the cylindrical wall of the former but which is readily removable therefrom in a vertical direction as a complete unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a molding device for the purpose stated, with an enclosed pipe supporting and centering portion formed from two crossed wires, that is assembled therewith as a rigid part thereof and which is readily extracted from the body on removal of the top and which is of minimum proportions and collapsible for disposal without bending operations.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improved former or mold as observed in the plane of line !-i on Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the former as it appears before the top or cover is applied and secured thereon;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental vertical sectional view in the plane of line 33 on Fig. 1 and showing the top securing means;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the upper end of a soil pipe and the improved former with the removable supporting and centering means in operative position on the pipe end with the concrete flooring laid on a sub flooring;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but wherein all removable portions of the installed former have been removed and the toilet retaining flanged ring is illustrated in its operative relation to the soil pipe and the bent down end of the former.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the improved former in accordance with a preferred structural embodiment thereof comprises body or a shell member is which includes a cylindrical wall I! and which is provided with an inwardly directed flange l2 at or adjacent to the lower end thereof. The upper end of this wall II is free and may be provided with an outwardly pressed circumferential rib l3 in a plane a short distance below said free edge.

The former further includes a removable top or cover Hi having a depending flange l5 frictionally engageable with the outer surface of wall H, between the free edge and the adjacent bead l3.

While the member it is shown as of relatively heavy material for clearness of disclosure, it is in practice constructed of relatively light gauge sheet material and may in fact be of a gauge similar to the sheet material used in the usual and well known tin cans.

While the flange I2 is shown as being integral and turned inwardly from the side wall II, it may be constructed separable and secured to the wall in any well known manner. The improved former further includes a cross wire cagelike supporting and centering portion l6, which is reinovably supported within the body member ill and which is formed from a pair of relatively heavy gauge wires ill and 18. The free end portions of each of the wires [1, i8, is successively bent to provide opposite inturned feet I9 to rest upon the flange I2 and opposed vertical sid-e leg portions 21; engageable with the inner surface of the wall ll. At the upper ends of the leg portions 20 the wires are each turned inwardly to provide relatively short horizontal portions 211 engageable with the top or cover portion as and are then turned downward to provide with the portions it, relatively short vertical pipe engaging and supporting portions 22 which are spaced inwardly from vertical leg portions 28. lhe inner ends of each pair of down turned wire portions 22 'are connected in a horizontal portion 23 which cross at the axis of the former and are disposed intermediate the feet portions it and the horizontal top engaging portions 2!.

The two wires ii and i8 bent as just described have their horizontal portions 23 in right angular intersecting relation and are rigidly secured at their central intersecting points as indicated at it, as by spot welding. I

lhis wire cage member is including four vertical leg portions 26 having inturned foot and top portions l9 and 2! respectively which are disposed 99 apart, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These figures also show how these portions of the cage member iii are confined by the cylindrical wall ii, inturned flange l2 and top member M to provide therewith a functionally integral former structure. As pointed out above the upper horizontal portions 2| of the cage are adapted to engage and rest upon the upper free end of a 4 soil pipe P (Fig. 4), in which position the vertical portions 22 of the cage depend, and firmly engage with the inner wall of the pipe P and the intersecting horizontal portions 23 are disposed within the pipe P below the upper free end thereof.

In order to lock the several parts into a rigid functionally integral former structure interlocking tongues 25 and 26 are preferably punched inwardly through the cover [4 and the wall ll respectively and at diametrically opposite points, as is indicated in Figs. 1 and 3.

In use, the improved unit former is lowered over the upwardly projecting free end of the soil or drain pipe P, and through a requisite opening in the sub-flooring F, as is indicated in Fig. 4, until the horizontal portions 2| of the supporting and centering cage member l6 rest firmly upon the upper end of the pipe. In this position of the former the inner edge of the ilange l2 engages the outer wall of the pipe P in a plane at a short distance above the bend b, in the pipe.

In this position of the former, the vertical portions 22 of the cage resiliently engage the inner wall of the pipe end. The former is thus accurately supported and centered by the portions 2I-22 and 23 of the cage member It and flange i2 relative to the axis of the pipe with the molding body wall ll uniformly spaced from the outer wall of the pipe at the required distance to receive the toilet bowl retaining sleeve or flange ring R as indicated in Fig. 5. With the former positioned as in Fig. 4 the concrete C is poured on the sub-flooring F and around the cylindrical wall I I to a level substantially coincident with the bead 13.

After the concrete has been poured and allowed to set, the top IA of the former may be pried off by means of a suitable ripping tool, as for instance a screw driver or other metal bar of a size to enter the punch opening 2? which extends through the overlapping portions of the top flange [5 and wall portion li above the head it. It will be noted, in this connection, that in initially forming the interlock between the top or cover I4 and the cylindrical mold wall H two or more openings 2? are formed from the bead iii to points just short of the upper free edge of the wall H. Hence, it only requires a slight lift on a tool inserted in the openings 2'! to rip the thin sheet material of the wall H to the free edge thereof and remove the top i l. 'Thecage 56 may then be lifted from within the wall of the body ll leaving only the wall H and fiange i2 permanently anchored by the concrete as indicated in Fig. 5.

Upon removal of the cover Hi, the portion of the wall H above the bead i3 will project above the concrete C, a distance substantially equal to the depth of the top flange 55. The tile T is then laid over the concrete C after which any upwardly projecting portion of wall ii is axially snipped at points circumferentially spaced between the vertical cuts 27 so as ho be bent outwardly over the tile T as indicated at H in Fig. 5. The toilet bowl securing ring R is then placed in position in the usual manner as indicated in Fig. 5.

It will be seen from the foregoing disclosure that the improved former is both simple in construction and economical to manufacture as well as to install and process on the job.

It is to be further-noted that theannular flange 52 while aiding in rigidly-supporting the removable centering cage as a functionally integral part of the former, it also function to prevent seepage of water and concrete along the outer wall of the pipe.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specific structural embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the subjoined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A spacing former for soil pipes comprising a cylindrical body member having an inwardly directed annular flange adjacent its lower end Whose free edge is adapted to engage the outer surface of a soil pipe, a removable cover on the upper end of the cylindrical member, and supporting and centering means for the former removably disposed within said body member comprising a wire cage including circumferentially spaced horizontal former supporting portions for engagement with the upper end of the pipe and having at one end thereof depending portions 'for engaging the inner wall of the pipe, and vertically disposed leg portions depending from the opposite ends of said horizontal portions engageable with the inner wall of said cylindrical body member and terminating in feet engageable with said flange. V

2. The structure according to claim 1 together with intersecting wire portions interconnecting the lower ends of said depending portions.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein .6 said depending portions, leg portions, and feet are disposed in right angularly disposed planes intersecting in the axis of said cylindrical body member.

4. In a soil pipe end spacing and closing former including a body member having a cylindrical wall for surrounding a pipe end, a removable cover having a cylindrical wall telescoped with the upper end of said member, and means removably supported within said member and adapted to engage a pipe for supporting and spacing said member therefrom, the combination of cooperating tab members punched inwardly from the telescoped walls of said member and cover providing a rigid connection therebetween normally holding the cover rigidly on said member and defining a separating tool receiving opening adjacent the upper end of said member permitting ready removal of said cover on severing the tab member of the Wall of said connection by continued inward bending of the cooperating tab members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,202,147 Gerriets May 28, 1940 2,212,974 Bateman Aug. 27, 1940 2,270,286 Gerriets Jan. 20, 1942 2,445,815 Youmans July 27, 1948 2,508,044 Seddon May 16, 1950 

